The present invention relates to a playing card wagering game that can be played with the lower numerical ranking portion of a typical fifty-two card deck of Poker playing cards, said portion comprising the card ranks of, for example Two through Eight, or Two through Seven, or the game can be played by video machine technology in a casino or home environment. In particular, it relates to a method and apparatus for playing a wagering game, wherein the game is not a variation of typical Poker or Baccarat game play and provides players with a game that is uncomplicated and exciting.
There are many wagering games used for betting or chancing. Such games should be exciting to arouse players interest and uncomplicated so they can be understood easily by a large quantity of players. Ideally, the games should be able to be played swiftly to a wager resolving outcome. Wagering games, particularly those intended primarily for play in casinos should provide players with a sense of participation and control, the opportunity to make more than one wagering decision, and reasonable odds of winning even though the odds favor the casino, house, dealer or banker. The game must also accommodate the requirements of regulatory agencies.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a wagering game of the present invention may be played with a lower numerical ranking portion, said portion comprising the card ranks of Two through Eight of a typical fifty-two card Poker deck or a conglomeration of multiple said portions. Card ranks of Nine through Ace need not be used in the present invention and said game does not involve the generally well recognized and accepted set of rules and procedures of typical Poker or Baccarat game play. The game method comprises of each player placing an initial wager to participate in the game. Five cards are dealt to each player position by the dealer. Players inspect their cards and said players must discard the highest numerical ranking card in their hand and place said card into an appropriate depicted high card area in front of that player position. If player positions are not occupied, the dealer retrieves the highest numerical ranking card from said positions and places said card into the appropriate said high card area in front of that unoccupied player position. Next players decide what two cards of their remaining four cards they wish to hold and build their mandatory two card hand with. Players must place said two cards into an appropriate depicted hold card area in front of that player position. Players must then discard the remainder two cards into an appropriate depicted discard area in front of that player position. Each player then has the benefit of a two card hand. Next the dealer chooses the houses two card hand from the high card each player position discarded into the high card area for that player position. The dealer indicates said choices by placing an indicator apparatus onto each of the two cards chosen. Dealer queries the players of the houses two card hand. Finally all cards in each occupied player positions are shown, and the payouts to the winning hands and the collections of the losing hands wagers are resolved. The players are playing against the dealer and not against each other.
Specifically, the participating players initial wager is a one part wager and is placed before any cards are dealt by the dealer. Each player position is dealt a total of five cards face down in the customary fashion regardless if said position is occupied with a participating player. Next each player inspects their cards and must discard the highest numerical ranking card of their five initial cards, said high card is common to the dealers two card hand. Players must place said high card into the appropriate high card area in front of that player position depicted by the word HIGH on the gaming table top. If player positions are unoccupied, the dealer retrieves the numerically highest ranking card from each said positions hand and said dealer places said card into the appropriate HIGH card area in front of said unoccupied positions on the gaming table top. Next the players must build their two card hand from the four remaining cards in their hand. Players select said two cards for their summed numerical value and for representing their competing two card hand. Players place said two cards face down into the hold card receiving area depicted by the word HOLD in front of that player position. Said players place the remainder two cards face up into the discard area depicted by the word DISCARD in front of that player position. Next the dealer selects the houses two card hand by placing a removable indicator apparatus onto two of the five single high cards that were discarded by each player position. Said selections represent the dealers mandatory two card hand, and remain in the depicted high card areas in front of each player position on the gaming table top. Each player and the dealer then have the benefit of a two card hand. Said two card choices by each player and by the dealer are on the basis of keeping their two card summed totals as low as possible, as in a typical Golf game scoring method, wherein a winning score is less in value than a losing score. Said method is unique to the present invention on the basis of each player having four cards numerical values with which to build their two card hands low score, and the dealer having five cards numerical values with which to build said dealers two card hands low score. After summing the two cards numerical values of each participating players two card hand and after summing the two cards numerical value of the dealers two card hand the tens position is dropped or eliminated to give the competing two card score (as for example in Baccarat). Only the ones position value is honored in the present invention. Next the dealer announces the houses two card summed score. The dealer then using one and/or two enlarged playing dice, displays or shows the summed value of the houses two card score. When the dealers two card hand total score equals one through six, the dealer indicates said score using only one said playing die. If the dealers two cards summed score equals eleven through sixteen, then the tens position would be dropped, scoring said sums as one through six and the dealer indicates said score using one said playing dice. If said summed score equals ten, then the dealer announces zero for said score. If the dealers two card summed score equals seven, eight or nine then the dealer would use both said playing dice to indicate the houses two card score. Dealer inspects each occupied player positions two card discard and inspects their two card hand to assure that each player did discard their highest numerical ranking card into the high card area for that player position. Dealer then calculates each participating players two card hands score as in the same manner or method mentioned above regarding dropping the tens position and said dealer determines what payout, if any, each player is entitled to receive according to that players initial wager and the payout schedule for that house or casino.
Apparatus is disclosed for playing the wagering game according to the method outlined above. A typical gaming table with a playing surface includes specific areas that provide locations for each player position and areas for placing the players wagers, an area for receiving and displaying the players high cards, an area for receiving and displaying the players hold cards, and an area for receiving and displaying the players discards and an area for displaying the inventors company initials and copyright information. A card shuffling machine, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat No. 4,807,884 for facilitating and speeding the play of the wagering game maybe used but is not necessary in the present invention.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a wagering game of the present invention may be played with a lower numerical ranking portion, said portion comprising the card ranks of Two through Seven of a typical fifty-two card Poker deck or a conglomeration of multiple said portions. Card ranks of Eight through Ace need not be used in the present invention and said game does not involve the generally well recognized and accepted set of rules and procedures of typical Poker or Baccarat game play. The game method comprises of each player placing an initial wager to participate in the game. Five cards are dealt to each player position by the dealer. Players inspect their cards and said players must discard the highest numerical ranking card in their hand and place said card into an appropriate depicted high card area in front of that player position. If player positions are not occupied, the dealer retrieves the highest numerical ranking card from said positions and places said card into the appropriate said high card area in front of that unoccupied player position. Next players decide what one or what two cards of their remaining four cards they wish to hold and build their mandatory one or two card hand with. Players must place said one or said two cards into an appropriate depicted hold card area in front of that player position. Players must then discard the remainder two or remainder three cards into the appropriate depicted discard area in front of that player position. Each player then has the benefit of a one or of a two card hand. Next the dealer chooses the houses mandatory two card hand from the high card each player position discarded into the high card area for that player position. The dealer indicates said choices by placing an indicator apparatus onto each of the two said cards chosen. Dealer queries the players of the houses two card hand. Finally all cards in each occupied player positions are shown, and the payouts to the winning hands and the collections of the losing hands wagers are resolved. The players are playing against the dealer and not against each other.
Specifically, the participating players initial wager is a one part wager and is placed in either of the two distinct wager areas for that player position before any cards are dealt by the dealer. That is, if players want to wager on just holding one of their four remaining cards then that player would place a bet at a one card distinct wager area, If players want to wager on holding two cards to compete against the dealer hands score then that player would place a wager at a two-card distinct wager area. Each player position is dealt a total of five cards face down in the customary fashion regardless if said position is occupied with a participating player. Next each player inspects their cards and must discard the highest numerical ranking card of their five initial cards, said high card is common to the dealers two card hand. Players must place said high card into the appropriate high card area in front of that player position depicted by the word HIGH on the gaming table top. If player positions are unoccupied, the dealer retrieves the numerically highest ranking card from each said positions hand and said dealer places said card into the appropriate HIGH card area in front of said unoccupied positions on the gaming table top. Next the players must build their one or two card hand from the four remaining cards in their hand. Players select said one or said two cards for their numerical or summed numerical value and for representing their competing one or two card hand. Players place said one or said two cards face down into the hold card receiving area depicted by the word HOLD in front of that player position. Said players place the remainder one or remainder two cards face up into the discard area depicted by the word FOLD in front of that player position. Next the dealer selects the houses two card hand by placing a removable indicator apparatus onto two of the seven single high cards that were discarded by each player position. Said selections represent the dealers mandatory two card hand, and remain in the depicted high card areas in front of each player position on the gaming table top. Each player now has the benefit of a one or of a two card hand and the dealer now has the benefit of a two card hand. Said card choices by each player and by the dealer are on the basis of keeping their card or cards summed totals as low as possible, as in a typical Golf game scoring method, wherein a winning score is less in value than a losing score. Said method is unique to the present invention on the basis of each player having four cards numerical values with which to build their one or two card hands low score, and the dealer having seven cards numerical values with which to build said dealers two card hands low score. After summing the one or two cards numerical values of each participating players two card hand and after summing the two cards numerical value of the dealers two card hand the tens position is dropped or eliminated to give the competing one or two card score, as for example in Baccarat. Only the ones position value is honored in the present invention. Next the dealer announces the houses two card summed score. The dealer then using one and/or two enlarged playing dice, displays or shows the summed value of the houses two card score. When the dealers two card hand total score equals one through six, the dealer indicates said score using only one said playing die. If the dealers two cards summed score equals eleven through sixteen, then the tens position would be dropped, scoring said sums as one through six and the dealer indicates said score using one said playing dice. If said summed score equals ten, then the dealer announces zero for said score. If the dealers two card summed score equals seven, eight or nine then the dealer would use both said playing dice to indicate the houses two card score. Dealer inspects each occupied player positions two to three card discard and inspects their one to two card hand to assure that each player did discard their highest numerical ranking card into the high card area for that player position. Dealer then calculates each participating players one or two card hands score as in the same manner or method mentioned above regarding dropping the tens position and said dealer determines what payout, if any, each player is entitled to receive according to that players initial wager and the payout schedule for that house or casino.
Apparatus is disclosed for playing the wagering game according to the method outlined above. A typical gaming table with a playing surface includes specific areas that provide locations for each player position and areas for placing the players wagers, an area for receiving and displaying the players high cards, an area for receiving and displaying the players hold cards, and an area for receiving and displaying the players folded cards and an area for displaying the inventors company initials and copyright information. A card shuffling machine, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat No. 4,807,884 for facilitating and speeding the play of the wagering game maybe used but is not necessary in the present invention.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a simple and interesting wagering game that is easy to learn on the basis of said games scoring method is related to the common game of Golf.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a new wagering card game which is made interesting by providing the opportunity for each player to build their own two card hand along with building the dealer or houses two card hand from five initial cards.
It is another aim of the present invention to provide a unique and exciting card game for play in casinos or at home and on various media including casino tables and or video machines.